Kinga Bartniak (PL)

Kinga Bartniak is a visual researcher, graphic designer, and educator based in Wrocław in Poland. She earned her degree in graphic design at Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław and later completed a doctorate in media art, specializing in exploring the intersection of labour and leisure. Currently, as a lecturer at her alma mater, she teaches courses in fiber art and new media.

Sharing how to communicate in visual language is her way of contributing to society – she led multiple art, animation and machine embroidery workshops to people of all ages. She also has participated in numerous individual and group residencies, projects and exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Besides art, she is interested in herbs, botanics, typography and sewing.

During her residency in Košice, Kinga Bartniak will further develop the theme of the relationship between work and leisure. Influenced by the natural cycles of trees, which she sees as a metaphor for negative management causing stress and manipulation of employees, she will work through workshops with volunteers who will be able to share their work stories and experiences. In the meetings we will explore botanical metaphors together, searching for and creating new meanings and then transforming them into embroideries. This will also include research into local folk embroidery.

The residency program is supported using public funding by the Slovak Arts Council. Slovak Arts Council is the main partner of this project.